This invention relates to thermocouples, and more particularly, it relates to thermocouples suitable for use in molten metals such as molten aluminum.
In the prior art, thermocouples used for molten aluminum are usually enclosed in a cast iron tube and coated with a refractory. Such thermocouples only last from about 2 to 7 days. Further, when such thermocouples are immersed in molten metal, they require considerable time to reach molten metal temperature. Thus, there is a great need for an improved thermocouple suitable for use with molten metal, e.g., aluminum, which has an extended life and which has a fast response time. The present invention provides such a thermocouple.